25 Best Restaurants: Thai Thai

Thai Thai isn’t just a restaurant — it’s a community. Inside the cozy brick walls of the five-table Lakewood eatery, everyone is part of the family. Being a regular means interacting with owner Kiwi Wongpeng on Instagram and Facebook, where daily shots of mouthwatering dishes and smiling customers in front of a grass-lettered Thai Thai sign populate the @ThaiThaiLakewood feeds. It means waiting in line during the monthly themed bubble tea event for one of only 200 doughnut-, cotton-candy- or candy cane-topped treats made by Wongpeng, the Unicorn Queen, herself. “When you walk in the doors of Thai Thai, it’s a home away from home,” she says. Most importantly, dining at Thai Thai means embarking on a culinary exploration of traditional Bangkok street food. The restaurant delivers dishes inspired by Wongpeng’s mother’s home cooking and the flaming-hot tastes of her hometown. Dishes such as the gai yang ($5), grilled and skewered chicken marinated in a soybean sauce with black pepper and turmeric, and yen ta fo ($10.95), a pink-hued seafood soup, succeed because they show no signs of being watered down for American taste buds. “We don’t compromise on taste in order to reach a broad audience,” says Wongpeng. “People appreciate the food for its realness.” 13735 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-961-9655, facebook.com/thaithailakewood 

Insider Tip:
If you love the burn of Thai food but can’t mimic it at home, special order a jar of Wongpeng’s house-made hot sauce ($5).